Locking unit



Deen 23,1947. B. BRASN Y 2,433,260

' I LOCKING UNIT Filed Nay 2, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 23, 1947 'UNITED1 STATES'd PATENT OFFICE l 2,433,2:60 y Y' LOCKING UNH:

Byron Branson, Glendale, Calif. Application May 2, 1945, serial No. 591,559

This` is an invention which provides a'- double acting latch means fora closure such asdoors and gates, one of the latch elements being a sliding bar and the other latch element being a pivoted tongue. VMeans are also provided for locking one of the latch elements so that it Acannot be moved unless released by locking means involving a key or the like. Althoughv the latch and lock device of this invention may be employed upon any type or kind of movable panel, door, window, gate, etc.; it is especially suitable and `adaptable for refrigerator doors.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to present a new and novel double latching and locking devicethat allows the means upon which it is fixed to be operated easily and positively, andwhich assures a close fitting or completely closed door when the door is moved to its lamb; the device is of the character that it is simple and sturdy in construction, and economical to make and manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features Vof my invention Ywill appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, the preamble of these specifications and the appended claims.

Applicant is about to illustrate and describe one of the forms of his invention in order to teach one how to make and use the same, but it is to be understood that the drawings and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any sense whatsoever, except as limited by the appended claims.

In the drawings: J

Fig. 1 shows a horizontal sectional vietri of the entire latch and lock assembly as applied to Vthe door and jamb of a refrigerator, d

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the-invention taken substantially along the lin-e 2-2 of Fig. 1. Y L

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of one of the latch elements.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the push button locking device.

The refrigerator door is indicated in general at I and the jamb portion of the refrigerator door opening at 2. The door and other parts oi the refrigerator walls have the insulation 3, and the door and walls also have the outer and inner metal shells or casing sheets indicated by 4. The opposing faces of the door and cabinet jambs are shown at 5 and 6 respectively, and note that the face lines of both are offset in the usual manner 5 Claims. (Cl. 701-441)V toassure a tight fit of door and cabinet wall alon'g'a short portion of the horizontal jamb line which is indicated at 6. I

The latching and locking device of this invention is housed in two metal or plastic casings, one of them being in the wall of the door and indicated by the numeral 'I and the other in the Wall of the mainV body of the cabinet and indicated by the numeral 8. Each housing has walls on all sides for providing a suitable chamber into whichto .protect and to allow free action for all the main working parts of the latch and lock device, the housing 'I being provided with a circular opening 9 to accommodate the cylinder type of keylocking device I0 which is of the push button type;

The key locking device I0 may be of any suitable kind that is obtainable on the market, but it is preferred to use a push button type and the push button of such a lock is indicated at I0', the button, however, being inoperable when the eccentric arm or bolt II is in its casing slot or in the full line position shown in Fig. 5. When the push button portion of the lock is free to be shifted, that is, when the key has turned the bolt Il from its casing slot, it is shifted rearwardly and thus swings the locking bar I2 which is pivoted at I3 by the pin I4, the pin I4 having its ends journalled inthe side walls of the housing.' as shown. The connecting link I5 is of spring steel and coniigurated to the form of a V having itsvalley portion connected to a fa-stening element II on the rear end of the push button III' and the two turned ends having been sprung enough so that the points thereof enter` small bores I6 in the sides of the lever or locking barV l2. Y

'I he locking bar is always urged to the full line position shown in Fig. 1, that is, in a locking position, by the wire spring II which has its ends fixed to the side walls of the housing as indicated at I8. At one end of the locking bar, there is a stop boss I8 extending from the housing wall, and at the other end of this bar, there is a hollowed pivoted latching element I9 coniigurated as shown, the hollow portion having a longitudinal opening along the edge 20 of the latch to accommodate the end I2' of the bar. This latch is xed to a pin I9' that has its ends journalled in the side walls of the housing 1. The portion 2| of the latch is shaped as shown to provide a stop therefor, the stop contacting an enlarged portion 22 of the housing. The pivoted latch is a1- ways urged to open or unlatching position by the Wire spring 23 that has one end 24 thereof lapped 3 over the latch, as shown, and the other end 25 fixed to the side wall of the housing. By this lconstruction, the pivoted latch I9 will readily retreat into the housing 1 when the locking bar I2 is forced from the stop I8 by action of the link I5 of the cylinder lock I0.

The jamb of the door in the wall of the cabinet has its housing 8 positioned as shown, with a keeper cavity 26 in register with and adapted to receive the pivoted latch I9. Bearing guides 21 and 28 are provided as extensions from one of the housing walls which have bores to receive an elongated plunger latching element or keeper aid 29. One end of the keeper aid element 29, at

30, is provided with a stop which is normally in the enlarged bore section 3I, this section A3I being spaced from and opposite ya similar bore section 32, the purpose of these sections being for the accommodation of the ends of the`coiled spring 33. This spring 33 continually urges the 'plunger 0r keeper aid 29 toward the pivoted latch, the end 34 of the keeper aid riding along the curved surface 35 of the latch.'

YIt is, .of cou-rse, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in 4the details of form, style, design Yand construction of the Whole or any part of the specifically described embodiment .of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes pand modi- -cations being restrict-ed only bythe limitations clearly expressed in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is yclaimed as `Vnew and desired to be secured by Letters .Patent is:

1 I-n a locking and latching device, a'pair of opposed housings slightly spaced apart, one of the housings having a pivoted latch and the other a sliding latch, means in one of `the housings for flocking one of the latches, ythe means comprising a pivoted bar and a ikey operable means, a link extending from and operated by the last mentioned means Which is connected to the bar and shiftsvit to release yand engage its respective latch.

2. In a locking device and the like, a pair of independent housings With one of them vhaving .a la-tching elemelflt,r land the other having a .keeper element Vadapted to be alined with the latching element, means for slowing'the action of one of the elements and means forlocking the other element, the last mentioned means including a pivoted bar and a key lock, a link extending from and operated by the key lock, .the link having a pivoted connection with the :bar near 011.8 End thereof,'said bar, when shifted, operating to arrest or free the said other element.

3. In a locking device, a pair of opposed housings, one housing having a keeper therein with spring pressed means protruding into the keeper, and the other housing having a latch 4 with a portion thereof designed to enter the keeper, and key controlled means link connected to a bar for contacting the latch and locking it, the latch having a curved edge where it enters the keeper, the first recited means having an edge which rides on the said curved edge when the latch is in the keeper.

4. In a locking and latching device, a housing adapted to be recessed in one edge of a door and another housing adapted to be recessed in the jamb of a doorway, a latching element in one of the housings and a keeper in the other housing, a bar pivoted in the housing having the latching element with means urging one end of the bar into Contact with the latch, a link pivoted to the bar remote from where it con- Itacts ythe latch, a lock in the housing having the latch, a bolt extended from the lock having a pivoted connection with the link, and friction means in the form of a sliding rod causing pressure against a portion ofthe latch to reta-rd its action.

5. In a locking device, a pair of opposed housings having a keeper formed in .one of the .housings and a pivoted latch member in the other housing which is adapted to swing toward the keeper and enter it, a spring pressed plunger in the housing having the keeper and which has a forward portion adapted to engage the latch member when in the keeper, an extension along V one edge of the latch member remote from the pivot point thereof which is provided -With a chamber having .an 4opening toward the inner :part of the latch members housing, a .bar pivoted in the latch members housing having one end thereof adapted to enter said chamber, and another end of the bar having al pivoted link depending therefrom, ,a key `controlled lock having extended means for operating said link, said latch member having edges extending from near the pivot point thereof to .form an acute angle, the top ends of the edges terminating at the Chamber and a curved surface, the curved surface having a parabolic form adapted to be engaged by an edge of the spring pressed plunger when the member is in the keeper.

BYRON BRANSON.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the le `of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS De Guise Apr. 29, 1913 

